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Ellis,
This is a nit-picky thing, but I wanted to correct some
misinformation that happens to be in my area of expertise. You said:
"Ellis: I suggest you should get an A.M.A.S. blood test, which
will answer if it is cancerous or not, without need of a
biopsy or a CT scan. I would avoid CT scans as much as possible,
because they work with radioactive material, and you really don't
want radioactive materials INSIDE your body unless it is really
absolutely necessary. "
Actually, there is no radioactive material in the patient's body
for a CT scan. They inject an iodine compound, but it is
non-radioactive iodine. You are correct that radiation is
involved, but it all comes from the x-ray tube that is part
of the CT scanner. In this way, it is just like any other
x-ray. It involves more radiation than a chest x-ray, but the
radiation dose is comparable to some other x-ray exams,
such as an abdominal series.
Almost all of the radiation exposure from a CT scan occurs
in the part of the body being studied, so a CT scan of the head
involves practically no radiation of the abdomen, and vice
versa.
The tests that involve radioactive material in the body are
usually done in nuclear medicine departments. (There is
one combination test called a PET-CT scan, which uses both
radioactive material and an x-ray tube, but that is done
much less often than the usual CT scans.)
Mike Lenker (radiologist)
Hello Mike... THANKS for correcting me. So... the CT
scan (cat scan) uses non-radioactive iodine... and it is
the PET scan that uses radioactive materials in the body.
So, please allow me to "pick your brains" a bit
because I LIKE TO LEARN from GOOD DOCTORS... and just the
fact that you are NOT opposed to growth hormone and other
hormones makes you one of the 2% of doctors that I care to
learn from.
So... let's start: Please tell us more about RADIATION...
Note: This is a good moment to remember and honor Marie
Curie, (1867-1934) the first woman in France to get a DOCTORATE
in science, and the only woman who was in the company of
Albert Einstein and other great scientists of her days.
Among other things, Marie Curie discovered radium. She
made a huge contribution to our knowledge of radiation and
a huge contribution for MEDICINE, probably at the cost of
her own life. Great pages here:
http://www.aip.org/history/curie/brief/index.html
So... on with the interview. When would you use a CT
("cat") scan, and when would you use a PET scan?
How "dangerous" or should I say, how "safe" is a PET scan?
What are the pros and cons of taking a PET scan?
If a patient has cancer, how EFFECTIVE is radiation
in treating cancer? About what percentage of patients
are completely cured because of radiation treatment?
If they are not cured, how much can it prolong their life?
Are the SIDE EFFECTS worth going through, or not?
How DANGEROUS is it for YOU to be a RADIOLOGIST? How much
radiation are YOU exposed to in your work?
THANKS for writing, and THANKS for BEING a radiologist!
The world needs you. A standing ovation for Dr. Mike Lenker.
- Ellis
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